Monsters
by Alais Kingsleigh
Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given? Done!
1. Chapter 1

**Monsters**

* * *

Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given?

* * *

A/N: A series of non-chronological shorts inspired by The Creature's Cookbook: Diary of a Humanitarian by Simon Alkenmayer but I took some liberty in changing things. I also borrowed elements from Golden Bowl (2002), which of course has my favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro as its lead actor.

* * *

 **Prologue: Passing Time**

Albus Dumbledore lied. The Sorcerer's Stone cannot be destroyed. It is impossible to destroy it. In fact, the stone had not really been created, merely discovered and its abilities harnessed. Hermione knew of this and took advantage, she searched and she found the stone, begged its creator to embed the stone into her being even her very soul. She did this to protect the people she cared about, her parents and her friends, especially Harry and Ron. A sacrifice she was willing to make for the people she cared about. You see, Hermione never really trusted the prophecy. She never believed in Divination, why start now? She believes in strategic planning and preparedness.

Other than the stone, she also did other precautions. Since she's not very good at wandless magic, she had her original wand embedded into her right arm. A very painful process, illegal and quite rare but was ultimately worth it. Thus, she had not been totally defenseless when her wand was taken, feigning helplessness until she could strike. It was instinctive really, she just knew she had to protect everyone or at least be well equipped to do so.

Of course, Harry won and of course, the stone affected Hermione in ways she had not expected. For one, scars and wounds, even those brought upon by magic and was supposedly incurable were easily cured. She knew well enough of the magical world's biases and prejudice to hide her incredible healing abilities by wearing long sleeves to supposedly hide the scars. If caught unaware, she would just say that she casted a glamour charm to cover these up.

As time went on and the comments about her maintaining her teenage looks continued and increased over the years, Hermione gradually had to disappear. First, it was on short business trips. Then, it was for months on end due to her boyfriend. Finally, she "settled down" and got married. Writing an occasional owl but even that had stopped. She left no address and had secured her home with all the protection spells she could get her hands on.

It was a good thing that she and Ron never got together. Otherwise, it would have been more difficult to extricate herself if she had a family. She often went on to ask if she could even have children but that is neither here or there.

But enough about the physical aspect of the stone's magic. The part that went unexpected had been within Hermione herself. She asked Nicholas Flamel to embed the stone in her soul so that none can use it; she had not anticipated that the stone would also alter her being. Hermione who had always felt apathy for others slowly felt her humanity slowly leaving her, whittled down to an abstraction of knowing what she should feel on any given situation. Yes, over the years, what was left of Hermione stopped feeling emotions.

Even if she had disappeared, she watched over her family (who did not know she existed) and friends diligently. She felt she had to, given the fact that it was for them that she gave up her humanity. Luna had been the last of her friends to go, before Luna died and on the last time her friend had been alone in her hospital room, Hermione entered and placed her hand over Luna's.

"I thought you'd never show up." Luna said in a raspy voice. Hermione only smiled and shook her head. Tears, an ability she thought she'd lost, came unbidden down her eyes. "You always knew I was just there." Hermione answered. "You've changed a lot but in many ways, you haven't." Luna said. Hermione shook her head. "No, I've changed too much." Luna weakly laughed at that and as always Hermione remembered how Luna's laughter always made her think of the tinkling of bells, reminiscent of folklores of how one could tell that fairies are nearby. "Thank you." Luna told her oldest friend. Hermione nodded her head and bent down to kiss Luna's forehead.

* * *

 **Things that Go Bump**

Hermione started the process of "leaving" when she was 23. She had finally noticed that her body had not changed from the time she was 17, when she went through the procedure with Flamel. She was staying in a seedy place near Tokyo. She could afford better, what with her job and the bounties and prizes she's earned for being a "hero" during the last Wizardry War. But it was far away from the people she knew and far away from Japan's magical community. She also knew she would have to move from this place eventually.

After watching a movie in a nearby movie theater, she walked down the alley, darkened but at least it was a shortcut from here to her apartment. A man grabbed her from behind, he held a knife to her side. Hermione might be starting to lose her emotions, but one thing remained, the adrenaline rush and excitement she craved from when she fought in the war. She figured she ought to see a therapist for it, but she couldn't, not when it's the only thing left to her. She placed her wand embedded arm near the man's head when he was suddenly ripped off from her with a savage growl.

A man or what looked like it, with longish hair, pale greyish complexion and the sharpest claws and fangs ripped up Hermione's attacker with ferocious strikes that Hermione was left in awe of the poetic beauty of his attack. It was precise. Blood was not spilt but Hermione knew from her observation of physical attacks, hexes and curses that it was enough to kill the man.

She also knew enough to recognize that the attacker of her attacker is not a man. She stood by quietly, watching the scene unfold. Finally, the creature took his dental veneers from the pocket of his jacket and slipped it on. He looked at her quizzically. Probably expecting her to run or to scream or just to react. Hermione nodded her head.

"Aren't you going to run?" The man asked in an obviously well practiced "human" voice and something tells Hermione it's not the creature's real tone. "Are you going to eat me?" Hermione countered. The creature shook its head. "No." He said as he "folded" the man he'd just attacked. "Then, I'm not going to run. Predators are more likely to attack runners, getting thrills out of the chase." Hermione continued.

"You're not normal aren't you?" The creature asked. Hermione shook her head. "But neither are you." Hermione countered. "Are you going to eat him?" Hermione asked. The man shook his head. "Too much alcohol, cigarettes and vices… He reeks of death. I only did him a favor by killing him early." Hermione nodded. "I should thank you, I suppose." Hermione politely said. "Why? You were going to kill him too had I not come along. I just didn't know it at the time." The creature replied. Hermione smiled at this.

"Do you drink or eat human food?" Hermione asks. The creature nodded. "I live over there." Hermione said pointing to her apartment some distance away. "Come over for some tea sometime." She said as she walked off, leaving the creature to clean the evidence of his crime.

She would research hard and long, to find traces of this creature in the annals of the wizardry world, both in Asia and in the libraries of the enclaves in Europe. But she had not come across a single one. The only thing akin to what she'd seen had been a mad rambling of a potioneer back in the 5th century.

When she finally asked the creature about its people, the creature had to admit it didn't know much except for the observation of its own body, the boundaries of lands and territorial instincts. It didn't know how it came to be or what it is. It was supposed to be asexual as there was no need to procreate, but when it removed it's clothing to Hermione's mortification, it possesses male parts much similar to humans. It insisted that it heard from someone that there were those of its race, whatever they were, that do not possess human sexual parts. She took note of this, curiosity winning over modesty, but eventually forced it to cover itself up as it took to doing it's chores naked.

* * *

 **Musicals and Bowling**

The creature did come over, and would continue to come over whenever Hermione is in the area for her short "business trips". He didn't have a name but for taxation, work and property investment purposes, his current "name" is Shu Akutagawa. He is pretending to be a 32 year old man and is currently a stockbroker. Hermione had to laugh at that and told him that by his appearance he should at least be pretending to be 29 years old.

The creature also had to laugh at her audacity at pretending to be a 23 year old. It was puzzled by the inability of humans to tell how she is still in a body of a teenager.

Because she extended an invite to the creature, it felt that it had to extend an invitation to her too. As it turned out the creature lived in a modest two bedroom apartment two blocks from hers. A few expensive antique pieces are the only telltale clues of the creature's acquired wealth over its centuries of existence. It said that most of its things are in storage and in bank vaults. It didn't really need to work, but it gives a show of normalcy. Hermione guessed that if the creature did need money, it could just sell off one of its antique belongings.

The creature apparently enjoys bowling, musicals and milk tea. He eats human food but is not nourished enough by these. Hermione, did not bother asking it how it got its meals. Only made it promise not to be hungry enough to eat her. The creature had to laugh at that saying that whatever it was in her blood makes her "inedible" for it.

They share meals, human food, of course, as Hermione wouldn't eat human beings. "How can you be a cannibal if you aren't even human?" The creature asked her. Hermione shrugged. "I used to be human." Hermione answered. The creature would nod and then proceed to feed her one of its own cooking, which didn't have human parts in it. Shu, happens to be an excellent cook, with either human food or food made out of humans.

Over time, the two creatures as Hermione termed both of them or monsters as Shu terms both of them became what can only be termed, as friends. The creature knew Hermione wouldn't tell on it's secrets as he wouldn't tell hers. Besides, who would believe them?

The creature taught Hermione how to play PS2 while she taught the creature to appreciate musicals. Then, Hermione taught it how to do gardening and even set up an urban garden in its apartment (herbs for it's cooking) and the creature taught Hermione how to cook human food. Finally, the creature taught her how to bowl. Hermione was a natural. Whenever she was in town, Shu would take her bowling almost every night. She could feel the glare of one of the attendants whom she presumes to have a "crush" on the creature.

Their friendship grew so much so that when the apartment next door to it became vacant, it paid the landlord the down payment and first month rent and convinced Hermione to move from her tiny apartment to this one seeing that the rent is almost the same and it had a balcony while hers didn't.

Hermione looked at her friend suspiciously and asked. "Please don't tell me you ate the last tenant?" She asked jokingly. The creature only shrugged it's shoulders and winked. "Okay, I won't tell you." It replied as it helped Hermione carry the boxes inside her new apartment. Leaving Hermione to sigh and shake her head wondering if the creature was serious or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Monsters 2**

* * *

Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given?

* * *

A/N: A series of non-chronological shorts inspired by The Creature's Cookbook: Diary of a Humanitarian by Simon Alkenmayer but I took some liberty in changing things. I also borrowed elements from Golden Bowl (2002), which of course has my favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro as its lead actor.

* * *

 **People Watching**

The two sat on a park bench, sipping steaming cups of milk tea kept warm by Hermione's warming charm. If it were not for the notice me not charm Hermione cast on them, they would appear as a normal couple out on a date. But upon closer inspection, they were discussing something far more gruesome.

"That man would taste good sautéed in butter and garlic." The creature whispered, despite the silencing charm Hermione cast around them. She already knew his preference for the leaner and wirier meat that young men aged around his appearance would have. Hermione looked at him wryly. "I thought you already ate your quota of a "nourishing meal", why are you sniffing out people?" She asked. "Why? Haven't you been to a grocery store and admired their stocks even if you're already full?" It asked her. "Touché…" Hermione replied and had to laugh at the creature's logic, the creature in return followed, imitating how humans expressed their joy.

While they were comfortable and had brought throw pillows for comfort, Hermione's legs were getting tired from sitting upright, so she raised her legs to rest on her side of the bench and leaned on the creature. Strangely, the creature wrapped its arms around her. She turned her head to look at it and it shrugged. "You were trying to be more comfortable." It pointed out. Hermione just accepted its answer and both returned to people watching.

"That man would make a good sashimi…" The creature pointed out and Hermione groaned beside it.

* * *

 **Halloween**

It was cliché but the creature was into Halloween. It appreciated the costumes the trick or treaters wore and laughed at the most ridiculous of the monster costumes.

After the last of the trick or treaters left, Hermione folded her arms and looked at her neighbor who was cleaning clutter in front of its door. "You're enjoying this too much." She noted. The creature nodded at Hermione and led her inside its home as it continued to clean.

"We evolved to be unnoticed, unobserved; to mimic and to disappear. We evolved to be able to pretend to be human." It told Hermione who only nodded and pointed out that he's hogging all of the chocolates and told him to give her some since she's his guest.

"A guest who's always here you mean…" The creature grumbled as Hermione started grabbing some chocolate bars.

* * *

 **Human Nature**

The creature laughed at the joke told on TV. They were watching another comedy show and scarfing down take-out food as they did. Hermione stared at him. "Come on! It's not even that funny and weren't you the one who told me that you can't really feel human emotions?" The creature pressed mute and looked at his neighbor and friend.

Hermione felt like backing up, at this point not all of her fears had been eliminated, she is starting to understand that perhaps it was because of creatures like him that humanity felt fear of the dark. "I had once told you that we've evolved to blend in. Pretending to have human nature is secondary nature. As the most evolved of predators mimic their prey." It said in what Hermione had long learned to be its original voice.

"Is that why you date sometimes? Or socialize?" Hermione asked, curiosity winning over fear. The creature nodded. "Did you know that the most successful of the serial killers of your specie are those who have learned to master pretense of human interaction?" It asked her.

After mulling over its words, Hermione nodded. "Just because my feelings aren't akin to what humans feel doesn't mean I don't feel at all. I feel hunger, I feel territorial and in some cases, I enjoy the company of other beings." It answered honestly before it turned on the volume of the TV.

Hermione smiled at that. "Am I one of those beings whose company you enjoy?" She asked. The creature leaned towards her and gave her a peck on her cheek. "I wouldn't hang out with you as often as I do if not. I can barely tolerate others." It said before it resumed his pretense at laughing at the comedy show.

Hermione's smile grew and she also continued to watch the show.

* * *

 **Lucky Box**

Hermione would still occasionally come home to England for the next few years. During one of those times, the creature, who went to the outside world with the name Shu Akutagawa, decided that it was wrong when it thought it didn't need social interaction. Or perhaps, Hermione ruined solitude for it.

Thus, he found himself in an exclusive hotel, where an "escort" would converse with him for a specific amount of time. Just chat with him and have human interaction. No hanky panky or any such thing.

The "escort" was accommodating, trying to ply his ego and masculinity or maybe she really did find him handsome. The creature was starting to realize that it misses the geishas of the days gone by, at least they would be trained for intelligent conversation. This insipid "escort" did no such thing.

It was surreptitious but the "escort" left him her phone number and even address. After inviting him over to her place for a little "moonlighting" (usually not allowed by the company but many would turn a blind eye to it), she would wind up missing. She would be used as an ingredient to one of his dishes.

* * *

 **Romance**

"I don't like double dates, Shu." Hermione said through gritted teeth. "Please?" The creature begged her. "This woman confessed her love for me once and even though she's now married to a supposed friend of mine I might add, she has this look of longing in her eyes. I just can't stand it. But I do enjoy conversing with the guy." It pestered her.

"How would you know a look of longing?" Hermione asked scathingly as it tried to solve the equation on her whiteboard. "Firstly, I have been alive for a very long time and have had a lot of interactions with your specie. Second, I feel longing when I look at a particularly delicious meat." It said frankly. "Please just come! I'll even pay for a dress and shoes. I promise it would be a wonderfully romantic experience."

Hermione rubbed her eyes. "I don't need the romantic experience. I've dated before." The creature snorted which had Hermione glaring at it but it shifted its facial expression to a creepy version of a puppy dog eyes. "Fine, but only because I need distraction from work…" She agreed.

It was a few hours later that found Hermione dancing with the creature. They have just had dinner and the creature certainly wasn't exaggerating when it mentioned the woman's sad eyes, especially when for the said woman's benefit, the creature lavished Hermione attention that she wasn't really used to. The other couple had to leave early because the woman said she was feeling ill. It was incredibly graceful and Hermione had to admit to herself that it had been a wonderfully romantic night.

* * *

 **Harry's Instincts**

Hermione's stint at pretense of normalcy even with aging charms for both her and Shu came to an end when Harry finally met Shu. Perhaps it was his years of experience of fighting evil, or an instinct he was born with but Harry felt immense evil when he stared into Shu's eyes. He felt fear, suffering and even an irrational feeling of hunger and possessiveness. These things were not normal feelings that he felt and he only felt these external feelings only when faced with the worst of society, an instinct that comes in handy for his line of work.

Harry warned Hermione about it, asking if Shu is really a muggle or something else. Hermione dismissed Harry's fears and just said he was probably just feeling brotherly and overprotective. She asked if he feels well because he looked ill. Harry acknowledge that he had been really tired recently given his recent increase in workload.

Ginny would later admonish Harry for driving Hermione off as that had been the last time Hermione would bring Shu with her to England and afterwards her visits became rare before they finally ceased all together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Monsters 3**

* * *

Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given?

* * *

A/N: A series of non-chronological shorts inspired by The Creature's Cookbook: Diary of a Humanitarian by Simon Alkenmayer but I took some liberty in changing things. I also borrowed elements from Golden Bowl (2002), which of course has my favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro as its lead actor.

I would like to thank pianomouse, LeonaMasha and Vulca for their kind reviews. :)

* * *

 **Inhuman**

Dear reader, you might still have some delusions that the creature is as human as you or I and at this point so does our dear Hermione. But she is slowly realizing the fact that the creature is inhuman as she ventured deeper into the creature's being. I just want you to remember, that humans are after all, this creature's main fare.

It was a few weeks after their first meeting, Hermione was watching a movie with the creature who was snacking on some head cheese which was of course made from an actual human head. It offered Hermione some who of course refused. The creature shrugged because it was proud of the taste of this batch.

They were watching a Julia Roberts film, snuggled under a blanket, Hermione drew closer to the creature, then she felt it. She looked at him with curiosity and raised a brow. "You're not warm blooded, huh?" The creature nodded. "I haven't thought about that in the last few years but yea, am not." It answered casually as it was still engrossed with the movie.

A few hours and another movie later, the creature carried Hermione to its bed so she can sleep over for the night, insisting that it does not need rest for that night. As it carried her, Hermione felt the top of its head. It looked like hair but there was something different, perhaps the awareness of a magical being is different from most muggles but this was the first time someone other than itself or any of its kind realized the difference. "These are not hair." Hermione mumbled sleepily. "No, they're feelers." It answered at it effortlessly opened the covers as it easily carried Hermione with an arm and a hand.

"You're not really human. You even have that odd bone sticking out of your feet that looks like bunions but I know better." Hermione observed in a sleepy voice. The creature smiled. "I did tell you that I'm not human." It said as it tucked Hermione under the covers like a little girl would one of her dolls.

"Did your kind evolve from reptiles, while we evolved from mammals?" Hermione queried. The creature chuckled at Hermione's curiosity even as she drifted off to sleep. It brushed aside some stray locks of hair from Hermione's face and switched off the lights.

* * *

 **Possession**

It was yet another crowded day on the train, Hermione sent him a text message about not being able to come home until a week later than expected. She was visiting Luna Lovegood in Peru and finishing her research at the same time. The creature sighed. It had wanted to have Hermione taste the chocolate mousse it prepared but it supposes that it could whip up a batch when its Hermione comes home.

The creature then realized something in its thought pattern. It was possessive of its territory, making sure to eliminate competing predators (criminal humans) as safely as it can and it is possessive of its things and properties. While it does let go of an occasional old useless bric a brac for easy money (humans calls these things antiques), it does so for profit. It realized that Hermione is reaching that part of its psyche where it considers Hermione as a part of its life. It doesn't know what to think of it.

Its' reverie were cut short when a woman shrieked that the creature molested her. It didn't know what to think of it, this ugly heavily made up woman claimed that it molested her. The creature sighed in exasperation, it didn't want to be late for work as it has an important meeting in a few hours.

The woman dragged it along the station, going up to the station master claiming that "this man molested me" and the only thing that saved the creature that day had been when a middle aged man said that he was standing next to "him" and saw that he did not molest the said woman. The man also pointed out that no one desperate would molest that woman seeing how ugly she is. The crowd which gathered around them nodded their assent. The middle aged man drew Shu away from the crow and afterwards the creature thanked the man profusely before each went their separate ways.

Later that night, as the woman who accused the creature of molestation set about removing her make up, the lights of her small home went out. She was about to check the breaker when a tall dark figure approached her and broke her neck.

"Wait till Hermione hears the story of how I was falsely accused of molesting you. Of course, I won't be telling her about this. I am running out of stock you know and a guy's gotta eat…" The creature hissed in its original voice as it easily lifted the woman's body and placed it in its bag as it jumped off into the night.

* * *

 **Strength**

Hermione was petting the creature's feelers as they sat side by side on a bench in the bowling alley. It's almost purring and it has such a cat who caught the canary look in its face that Hermione would have found cute if it wasn't just talking about some nice ham it made from the stomach of some person. She sighed. She knew that conscience ought to tell her that she should report this goings on to the ICW but she also realized that many have done worse and it's not as if the creature is greedy.

The creature did not deny that it did not only partake on criminals and said that sometimes the necessity would come and it would claim the most convenient victim. It gave Hermione a boyish grin and said. "I will cook you the best sukiyaki if you let me finish a game and then continue rubbing my head like that." It told her.

The creature was extremely good at bowling, call it luck or call it skill, or maybe even a mixture of both but it always resulted in one perfect score after another. It always enjoyed bowling too and can be found in this bowling alley whenever it has free time.

Just then, a group of teenagers entered the alley. They were loud and rambunctious, even up to the point of driving away the other patrons of the alley. One even had the audacity to play with Hermione's hair saying suggestive things. Hermione ignored it, counting to a thousand so she wouldn't retort and was trying to control her magic from breaking out. There were far too many muggles to obliviate.

Sensing that something was off; the creature looked at Hermione and scowled. It placed the bowling ball back to the rack and lifted the teenager from his collar. Shu whispered to the teenager. "You and your friends will leave this place. You will never touch or talk to that girl ever again or I will snap your neck." The creature said using its natural voice. Everyone watched in shock, as many saw Shu Akutagawa as just a tall goofball who has the strength of an infant; they've seen him knocked out when he was punched just the other week when he was trying to quell a fight.

The teenagers scampered off, urged by the one Shu threatened. The creature sighed. "There goes the mood for my game." It said in an irritated voice. It looked at Hermione with puppy dog eyes. "Can we go home and you rub my head again?" It asked. Hermione smiled and nodded.

* * *

 **Doing It**

It was an almost monthly argument. Hermione still couldn't understand the creature's need to constantly do this. It's not as if she didn't and couldn't do it. It's just that doing it is tiring.

The creature hugged Hermione from behind, and kissed the top of her head. Hermione scowled. "Not again, we've just done it last month." Hermione insisted. "I will bake you your favorite dessert." It urged her as it held her close against itself.

"Don't you care for me?" The creature pleaded. "Fine!" Hermione gave up and used her wand to re-arranged the furniture. As strong as the creature was, it quickly burnt through its strength, its metabolism faster than humans. It wanted to re-arrange its furniture but had not wanted to exert the effort of lifting everything up, including the room dividers.

The creature went back to the kitchen humming as it started baking Hermione's favorite desserts for the week.

(A/N: Bet you thought it was something else, huh?)


	4. Chapter 4

**Monsters 4**

* * *

Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given?

* * *

A/N: A series of non-chronological shorts inspired by The Creature's Cookbook: Diary of a Humanitarian by Simon Alkenmayer but I took some liberty in changing things. I also borrowed elements from Golden Bowl (2002), which of course has my favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro as its lead actor.

I would like to thank pianomouse, LeonaMasha, Vulca and LtheWolf for their kind reviews. :) Please remember that Shu is, first and foremost, a monster who eats human. Its kind is the source of all those we imagine and fear. But like a coin, there are two sides to it.

* * *

 **Routine**

The alarm buzzed. The creature ignored it, drowning out the deafening noise by covering its ears. It tightened its grasp on the pillow it was cuddling to when the warm pillow groaned. The creature nuzzled its nose into the warm pillow, while the pillow blinked her eyes opened. "Shu, wake up, we'll both be late for work," said the familiar voice of the "pillow.

Said pillow fell asleep in his apartment after they got home really late and had not even been able to eat dinner as she fell asleep the moment she sat on his couch out of exhaustion and the lateness of the hour.

"Five more minutes, Hermione." The creature groaned using its weight to pin down the struggling pillow. "It's your fault we stayed up late at the bowling alley." The pillow complained struggling to get out from her position and dragging the creature up from bed and into the restroom.

The creatures eyes blinked and started its daily routine of brushing its teeth before putting on its veneers and washing its face. Hermione was right beside it, making do with the small space of its apartment, when hers is right next door.

Breakfast was a rush, Hermione was toasting bread while the creature was frying some human meat to put on its bread. Hermione squeezed her oranges while waiting for the breads to toast while the creature seasoned the meat perfectly. Hermione wrinkled her nose in gag reflex, knowing that the nice smell coming from the creature's frying pan was once a living person.

* * *

Hermione is supposed to report for work in Wizarding Tokyo. Since she is trying to lessen her magical trace at home, she had neither a floo nor a permanent portkey in her house. Thus, whenever she needs to get to work, she would take the morning train with the creature.

As usual during rush hours, the train was croweded and Shu used its large frame to shield Hermione from people pressing down on them. They stood face to face with Hermione's back to a wall as Shu had loosely had one arm protectively around Hermione while his other hand held on to a rail to steady them.

The philosopher's stone altered Hermione's physiology to remain static as it was when it was first bonded to her system. Thus, in reality she is still very much a teenager, both in body and reaction.

Human emotions may seem slowly ebbing away but not all emotions or feelings would, her reaction at the proximity of a very attractive man-like creature is still that of a teenage girl. Her heart beats slightly faster and her face flushed despite the routine this had become for them. Shu, a predator whose sensory abilities are beyond those of its prey knew of this and fought the overwhelming urge to kiss its friend.

After the first stop, the train jolted a bit and came to a screeching halt with the conductor apologizing in the background. Shu's grasp on Hermione tightened a bit and Hermione had to hold on to Shu so she won't go out of balance.

Beside them, a group of teenaged girls wearing school uniforms giggled. "That couple looks so sweet…" said one girl. "I want to have a boyfriend like that, too." Gushed another girl.

Shu leaned closer to Hermione so he could whisper in her ear. "Those girls would cook well in a hot pot. Especially that plump one." He said appreciatively. "I thought you said you only eat those who won't be missed and are of danger to society." Hermione reproached slightly. Shu shrugged. "Yes, but it doesn't hurt to appreciate food every now and then." Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head at his comment and he laughed.

* * *

Shu and Hermione met up at the groceries after work. It was a weekly habit, Shu liked doing its shopping on once a week, preferably on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowd. Hermione, as usual, has a list while the creature plans to just wing it.

Hermione had not had much time for childhood back in England, but she is certainly making up for it. The creature made sure of that. Thus, it has become part of their grocery shopping routine for Hermione to ride the bottom bar at the bottom of the cart (Shu tried to make her ride the cart but the employees at the grocery store asked him not to put Hermione in it as she is not a baby or toddler).

She and the creature made a game of her calling out the items from the list and Shu would run to the aisle to get it and run back in time to catch the cart before it sped off. This had been the second time they've done it.

'Of course that game was a bad idea.' Hermione mused after she fell onto a new obstacle of pyramid of noodles packets and twisted her ankle.

Shu offered to carry her on its back on their way home to the apartment complex. The creature supported her on its back as she carried the two plastic bags of groceries.

The creature came to a curious conclusion. It squeezed both of her ass cheeks alternately to verify its initial hypothesis. "Hey! Stop doing that." Hermione complained as it did so. "You have uneven butt cheeks." The creature concluded in a serious tone. "Just don't touch my arse." Hermione complained again.

"I can't, you'll fall down if I don't support it." The creature replied with seriously but with a hint of mirth in its tone. It squeezed her ass again. Hermione reacted by trying to get the creature out of balance by wriggling and moving in different directions.

"Stop doing that! We'll both fall." Shu protested. Hermione just laughed. "If you don't stop doing that, I'll tell the whole world that your ass is lopsided." The creature teased. "You wouldn't!" Hermione protested but still continued trying to tip both of them out of balance.

"Hermione's ass is lopsided!" Shu shouted to the night in their densely populated street. Hermione was protesting and wriggling with all her might that the creature was forced to run in zigzags just to compensate for the lack of balance.

* * *

As soon as they got home, Shu started munching on some meat jerky as it prepared to cook dinner for both of them. He had Hermione's leg propped up on the sofa. Shu talked about its day while Hermione discussed her progress with her research and how her research in a charm anchored aging glamour is coming along.

Shu ate its dinner faster than usual as it knew it had to attend the tenants' meeting and it insisted that Hermione stay and rest, despite its usual apprehension of attending what it calls "the wives' club" alone and without Hermione's feminine protection. The creature plied her with freshly popped popcorn to watch her movie with as it attends the meeting.

* * *

Most of those who attend the tenants' meeting are housewives and despite the lack of verbal or even any kind of confirmation, believes that Hermione and Shu are in a relationship and are practically living together.

The meeting ended up without anyone paying attention to its agenda while the association turned its sights on Shu, asking him how old he and his girlfriend was, what their plans are and if they can be of any help to their wedding arrangements. Shu was overwhelmed with their questions and the moment the clock indicated the end of the meeting, it practically ran back home.

* * *

Most of the time, whenever Hermione falls asleep while watching a movie with it, the creature would just carry her to share its bed. It likes having her beside itself at night, even during those nights it didn't need to sleep.

Of course, it has a key to Hermione's apartment but it really didn't like carrying her all the way to her house when it can have her beside him for the rest of the night. Unlike most nights when it would tuck her in its bed and it would go in the covers with her for the rest of the night, it just kissed Hermione's forehead and bid her good night as it decided to think over certain things in the comfort of its living room.

* * *

The creature paced back and forth in its living room. It had already purchased a nice house not far away from this apartment. It has small yard where Hermione can garden and where it can drink its tea while staring at the greenery. It's an old fashioned Japanese home with a lot of character and it is just a station away from here.

Convincing Hermione to live with it is not really that difficult since the creature agrees with "the wives club" that they practically live together. What are they really? The creature knew it felt displeasure when other men or even women gets too close to its Hermione and even admits to jealousy, as it guards its territory jealously, seeing Hermione as a practical extension of itself. Why it feels this way, it doesn't really know. It also feels protective of her, wants to take care of her and wants to make her feel happy.

The creature also knows that Hermione feels protective and at one instance had seen her a bit jealous when it came to a pretty ex-girlfriend.

Maybe it isn't love as it sees in movies or read in stories. But for two unique creatures such as them, maybe it's the nearest they have. The creature looked at the diamond ring it purchased, it was classy, beautiful and, of course, expensive. It sought the help of some officemates to purchase this ring, asking for specifications on what a girl might like.

It really didn't know if Hermione would at all agree to marry itself, given she can have any man she could want. But it knows that it can be with Hermione for a very long time, far longer than any human. Hermione might turn it down, but it knows that at least this ring would look good on Hermione's ring finger and it plans on giving it to her no matter what she says.


	5. Chapter 5

**Monsters 5**

* * *

Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given?

* * *

A/N: A series of non-chronological shorts inspired by The Creature's Cookbook: Diary of a Humanitarian by Simon Alkenmayer but I took some liberty in changing things. I also borrowed elements from Golden Bowl (2002), which of course has my favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro as its lead actor.

* * *

 **Of Bad Days**

* * *

 **Piles of Bodies**

The creature struggled out of bed, it cursed as it realized the alarm clock had been buzzing for some time now and it is late, it decided to just eat toast only to get burned when it got the bread off of the toaster. It practically ran to the train where it luckily got there in time for the train. The creature squeezed with several salary men who forced themselves into the tight train.

The creature looked miserably out from the window glass of the moving train and wondered how the weather was in England. The train came to screeching halt, unfortunately, Shu's face was forced down on the window glass it was just staring into as he went off balance and piles of bodies pushed against it. The rest of the journey was uncomfortable, the air conditioning could barely cool down the train which was packed tighter than sardines in a can.

It felt mussed up after it got out of the train. The start of the day had been like several others before, just downright miserable. The creature's face seemed to have frozen into a scowl.

The moment it got into the office, it sat on its station and turned on its computer when its mobile phone vibrated and a small beep indicated a message. It lazily unlocked its phone when it saw the message.

"Yes!" Shu shouted with joy, jumping out of his chair and sent it crashing down. The people around him looked at the creature strangely but quickly went back to work thinking he just had a good deal. They were after all stock brockers, these kinds of things happen.

"She's on her way home…" The creature muttered happily to itself as it felt all its irritation and gloom seemed as if they were washed away. The rest of the creature's work became easy, everyone are nice and life was rosy again. It was smiling for the rest of the day and even on its way to the grocery store where it got the things Hermione likes.

* * *

 **Of Cracks and Gold Linings**

Once a month, the creature finds itself almost a slave to its baser needs. Shu and Hermione Akutagawa had been married close to a decade now and with the help of the aging charm Hermione crafted into their wedding rings, they were able to continue living their lives for the foreseeable future.

Hermione had essentially disappeared from the Wizarding Society, mainly only corresponding with some friends erratically to prevent anyone from her world to figure out that she's under this charm. Besides, most of her work is sent in via owl.

The creature has a solution for this monthly "period" as the term Hermione likes to tease him with. It would stock up on food before this time, cook its favorite desserts and watch movies after movies with Hermione, its head on her lap as she rubs his head and feelers.

The creature has managed to tolerate this day with more ease ever since she came into its life.

But this time it was different.

First, during that time when Shu had to spend what Hermione terms as "compulsory socialization" with his officemates, their talk somehow managed to pry into Shu's business. One of Shu's more obnoxious officemates even commented that if he were in Shu's place he would have divorced Hermione long ago, seeing that she has yet to give Shu a child after 10 years of marriage.

The creature stifled its desire to kill the said man, telling itself that this reaction is only magnified by its primal need at this time of the month. Shu calmly replied that the problem was with him and not with Hermione as he was the one with the low sperm count.

It would have been fine, had it not been for today's pitying looks and "sympathetic" gestures. Shu once again stifled the need to lash out, wondering why it didn't call in sick today.

Second, had been Ron Weasley's visit to Hermione. Shu, knows of the two's history, and isn't comfortable with the idea of Hermione meeting up with the man but Hermione asked if he could come along. It was a dangerous day for Shu to be out, especially for that man it deemed as a threat to its territory, but to refuse would mean Hermione would have to meet the said red head alone.

Before Shu could get to their table, it heard Ron snidely remarking that they have yet to have children. Hermione bristled in Shu's defense and claimed it was her own problem and that they are seeking help for it. Luckily, for Ron that is, the red head behaved civilly as soon as he saw Shu.

The last straw had been when Hermione accidentally broke its favorite valuable plate. Hermione had been apologetic as it had been one of its prized possessions. It didn't say a word and merely raised a hand and just bowed his head down.

Hermione cried, as it had been a stressful day for her as well and went into their room, locking the door, something the two have never done before. Shu drew a deep breath and got his phone and his tools.

* * *

Hermione had not slept that night. She knew that today was Shu's time of that month when he is not his usual self. She had had a long day, first with Ron's snide comments (she's never going to allow that guy to visit her ever again) and then with Shu's taciturn behavior.

Then, there was her workload. Shu had once asked her to lessen it if it gives her such grief, saying that with what it has saved up, its possessions and properties, not to mention its current job, it can support both of them even if Hermione doesn't work.

She knew it was unfair to take it out on her husband. Husband, is a word that up till now, she is still trying to get used to. She opened their bedroom door and sought Shu out. The creature was still where it was the night before, except it was repairing the broken lacquer ware with melted gold. Hermione was about to speak when it raised a finger to its lips and gestured for Hermione to sit next to it.

"This is called Kinstukuroi. It got famous in the 15th century. It is an art that appreciates flaws and sees it as character, to be strengthened and to be improved. It's flaws becomes its beauty." Shu explained. After a while the creature set it aside and faced Hermione.

"I have a connection with a local orphanage, we sometimes donate there." It stated to Hermione's puzzlement but she remained quiet when the creature pulled her down to sit on its lap.

"I may not be able to give you children because of the difference in species but I can adjust. I can learn to care for children not our own. We can adopt. We…" Shu said speaking in its original voice, one that many found scary but Hermione had learned not to. It showed her Shu's vulnerability and raw emotions.

"We don't need to have children. We have each other. That's all that I need. Ron's wrong. You don't need children to define marriage. They are an addition, but a marriage should be defined by itself. I love you, flaws, cracks and all." Hermione told Shu who nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck. "We've soldered our flaws with gold." Hermione added as she stared at the lacquerware that Shu managed to repair with gold.

"Besides, how can we explain daddy's "monthly period" or his special freezer with body parts which is the reason why the whole property is under the fidelius charm?" Hermione teased which had Shu laughing as Hermione led her husband back to their bedroom.

* * *

 **Jealousy**

The waitress kept on hitting on Shu. Hermione have had enough. She slapped a bill on the table to cover what they ate but purposefully didn't leave the waitress a tip before dragging her friend off to go elsewhere.

Shu stared at her curiously. "Is something bothering you?" The creature finally asked as they settled down to sit on a park bench overlooking a lake. Hermione stared at him stonily and replied in a cold voice. "Why is it that you haven't joked about eating her, ever? We've been eating at the place for months and while you've cracked that joke about practically everyone, you've never joked about her." Hermione asked.

The creature hummed and thought the situation through. "Her breasts are fake. I can smell the silicon a mile away. One of the patrons once gossiped that she used to be an escort in the Shinjuku district but was dismissed through some problems. I don't like eating people with silicon appendages, it changes their taste somehow." The creature mused as it placed an arm around Hermione who was uncharacteristically quiet.

The creature held her close as she is warmer and it was cold blooded. Hermione understood and cast a warming charm around them. Hermione just nodded her head. She didn't understand why she felt the way she did. She didn't understand her anger. Was she being possessive of Shu?

The creature gave one of its smiles, it's lopsided dimple which Hermione found cute appearing once again. The creature leaned towards Hermione and kissed her nose. "You are so cute when you are jealous." The creature said before it stood up and stretched itself, walking towards the direction of their apartment building.

Hermione stared at its back as she dispelled the warming charm and followed the creature. They've been friends for some time and had been, in her perspective at least, almost fraternal that she didn't realize she could be jealous.

* * *

A/N: Kintsugi (きんつぎ, "golden joinery"), also known as Kintsukuroi (きんつくろい, "golden repair"), is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.


	6. Chapter 6

**Monsters**

* * *

Summary: Hermione fought to protect her friends. She would do anything to give Harry victory and to save their friends from the Dark Lord's reign. She did not know the price she had to pay for protecting her loved ones. She stopped feeling emotions and, ultimately, stopped being human. But what are monsters and what are humans? Can she still find happiness with what she's been given?

* * *

A/N: A series of non-chronological shorts inspired by The Creature's Cookbook: Diary of a Humanitarian by Simon Alkenmayer but I took some liberty in changing things. I also borrowed elements from Golden Bowl (2002), which of course has my favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro as its lead actor.

Thank you for your reviews. These are just drabbles of an otherwise non-chronological short stories gotten from my now utterly tired mind so please forgive the erratic order. But this is the last of it. I hope you enjoyed reading this story!

* * *

 **Epilogue**

They were millions of light years away, in a colony that was established by earthlings some millennia ago. It seems those phoenixes are not the only life forms that transforms from one form to rejuvenate into another. The creature had been sick for months, ailing and its mate of several hundreds of years watched with worry and fear. The creature assured her that whatever comes after it would not devour her, given how her blood had completely been altered by the philosopher's stone.

Mortals are not meant to handle the pain of immortality and often times, Hermione as she what was once called had to laugh at Voldemort's short sightedness. She knew he was insane but she never once realized that what was once a man was utterly foolish to even want immortality.

For her, the curse began with the awareness that she will outlive everyone she loves. Her glamor ensured she grew old with her peers but unlike they, she knew that not even their children and even their descendants down the line can outlive her. First, it was her parents, muggles who do not remember that they even have a daughter. Shu stood by her as she cried from a distance, as strangers her parents called friends buried them.

Then, it was Professor McGonagall, Flitwick and so on and forth that Hermione stopped counting and remembering who went first. She always stayed away, watched from the shadows, a morbid creature of the dark who refuses to come out for mortality may envy immortality but they fear it and instinctively reject it. She'd even attended Draco Malfoy's funeral, watching as she always did, from a distance. Despite her masochistic tendencies, she stopped wandering down that world after Luna passed away.

* * *

They have seen the rise of what was then known as third world, the downfall of what she knew to be modern empires. They have seen wars, peace and saw both the worst and best of humanity. They saw the changes in environment, how humanity sought to discover new worlds as they destroyed the old one callously. They saw how humanity, in its regret is trying to revitalize the world they practically ruined.

She amassed knowledge, her years of life and later lack of need for sleep made gathering knowledge more than just a hobby or joy. It became a necessity. She learned this from her lover. She learned languages, she learned cultures, studied about the past and travelled. But after hundreds of years of these, she grew tired and nothing ever seemed to pique her interest. Space travel became more accessible and of course, they traveled, even joined a colony to learn new things.

But on her five hundredth year, Hermione broke down. Even the stone's transformation of her emotions to be a mere ghost of what it once was not wholly able to shield her. As she watched a mother tend to her children, care for her children. Children she couldn't have with her lover who belongs to a different specie or even want to, despite his offer that she could find a surrogate or even experience pregnancy with a donor was not even feasible for her.

How could she have a child or children, knowing fully well that she and Shu would outlive these children? It would break what was left of her heart. So, she braved through, the same brave young woman who ventured into an unknown world hundreds of years past and violated human nature to fight for her friends and loved ones. Then, there's always her companion, the creature who had been her steady loving and guiding hand throughout these years.

* * *

During the creature's illness, she reflected on his existence. Yes, she insists on calling him a he unlike his preference of calling himself it. She saw him as he really was, caring and even downright awkward being, who despite his lack of humanity in terms of genome, is more humane than most humans she knew. He exhibits more care for the general welfare of humans, not because he cares for them as a predator does (there's still that, he still eats humans) but because he did not like injustice and hates child abuse more than anything. He is charitable to others and in all honesty, did not kill more than he had to.

He loved her, cared for her and stood by her. For the first time in her existence, she worried. Not as he jokingly claimed that she might be worried that his new form would devour her, but rather she worried that things would be different and that she would be all alone. Her reverie was broken with an unusual scent. It smells like him, only much stronger and more musk.

* * *

Hermione or Aeryn as she is now known watched her lover and husband of hundreds of years break out from what appears to be a chrysalis where he had been in for some weeks now. She wonders whether he'll still be the same person he was.

Soon he broke out, looking just the same as he always did. He looked at her and the plate she held out for him. Instead of going immediately after the food, he approached her. Hermione stilled, knowing that one mustn't provoke the predator into running.

He smelled her, her neck, and her chest. 'Was he going to eat her?' She wondered in her mind. She should not have worried. He drew her into his arms, still unspeaking and hugged her close to him, all her fears of being alone forgotten, as she settled in to breathe in his familiar almost metallic scent. He may have transformed into a new phase of his life form, but Hermione was comforted that he would always love her for years to come.


End file.
